Renault used to be the warning label for how badly an old-guard automaker could stumble in the EV transition. In the first half of 2026, it looks more like a case study. Global volume barely moved, with just over 1.165 million vehicles sold, yet revenue climbed around 9.5% and the group swung back to a clean net profit. All of that is happening while a wave of cheaper Chinese crossovers and hatchbacks crashes into Europe and pushes competitors to slash prices.
Every European legacy brand is fighting the same war: grow the EV share without torching margins. Renault’s answer is to push a richer electrified mix while cutting costs hard in the background. In Europe, electrified models now make up about 52% of sales, and full EVs account for 18.8% of group volume. For the Renault badge alone, battery-electric deliveries are up more than 60% year on year. EVs are no longer a side hustle, they are one of the main profit engines.
View Price on AmazonRenault’s turnaround is built on quality of revenue, not sheer volume. Global registrations slipped 0.4% in the first half of 2026, yet the company still pushed revenue higher thanks to a heavier mix of electrified and higher-spec models. In plain terms, Renault is selling slightly fewer cars but making more money on each one.
The key is a hard internal rule. New EVs like the Renault 5, Renault 4 and the next Twingo only get approved if they can at least match the profitability of the brand’s full hybrids. There is no room for loss-making "compliance" cars designed just to hit CO2 targets. That mindset lets Renault walk away from low-margin deals instead of following every Chinese price cut down the ladder.
It also lines up with where the European market is going. Battery-electric share across the EU and EFTA is now above 20%, and Chinese brands are already operating at scale in that space. By insisting that each new EV earns its keep from day one, Renault is trying to meet that pressure with healthy pricing power rather than pure volume.
Source: motor1.com
